Valve mechanism



Dec. 28, 1954 R. A. LEHNER VALVE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 26, 1948 9 l g w W M 0 m 9 aw; 0.2 Q & m v 0 4 m W \m b I III my d 1.411 I O m I 0 1 0 FM lnHn x l 1 mm l x u ul m w 1 I I1 m h g P H v a 5% mx @b w W .& R w\ R 0/: m w Q Q R Q Q RN Z3 fli iorne y.

Original Filed Aug.- 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 illliiI-[g I J 7 A? A2 1 0 M "Mn 4 "mm a United States Patent" My invention relates to valve mechanisms, and more specifically to valve mechanisms adapted for association with hydraulic propulsion systems for vehicles, for restoring traction to the vehicles when certain of the driving wheels thereof skid.

In the application of Harry H. Vanderzee and Clyde P. Baldwin, Ser. No. 578,084, now Patent No. 2,562,881, there is shown a propulsion system for a coal cutting ma chine of the rubber-tired type in which a liquid under a relatively high pressure--several hundred pounds per square inchis used to effect propulsion of the machine. The controlling system for the wheel drive of this machine provides for the requisite operations, but in the event that there is a loss of traction of the propulsion wheel at one side of the machine, it is necessary to take steps for the restoration of the traction of the slipping wheel or to close a manually operable stop valve in the supply line to the motor which drives the slipping wheel, in order to effect propulsion of the vehicle.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved valve mechanism. It is another object of my invention to provide an improved valve mechanism, operator controllable, for enabling with a minimum of complication the distribution of operating medium to the wheel driving motors of a hydraulically propelled vehicle in such a manner that the major portion of the flow, when one individually motor driven wheel skids, shall be to the motor whose driven wheel is not skidding, while yet a small flow shall take place to the motor whose driven wheel is skidding, when skidding of one of the wheels is occasioned by the condition of the surface with which it coacts. Other objects and advantages of my inven tion will hereinafter more fully appear.

In a preferred embodiment the invention may include a casing having a fluid supply port and a pair of lines leading from the casing, valve means in the casing for connecting either of said lines separately, or both of them concurrently, in free communication with the fluid supply port, and means for establishing a restricted connection between the supply port and one of the lines when the other of the lines only is in free communication with the supply port.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of my invention is shown for purposes of illustration and in which further there is shown an apparatus in which the illustrative embodiment of the invention is incorporated:

Fig. 1 is a view with parts broken away and other parts omitted of a kerf-cutting machine in which the illustrative embodiment is incorporated.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of an improved control valve mechanism constituting the illustrative embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view through the control valve mechanism of Fig. 2, on a plane perpendicular to the plane of the sheet on which Fig. 2 appears, the view being taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the control valve in one limiting position.

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view showing the control valve in its opposite limiting position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, showing the leakage arrangements associated with the valve mechanism of Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a control system in which the valve mechanism may be used.

This application is a division of my copending application filed August 26, 1.948, Serial-' No. 46,207, now abandoned, and entitled Propulsion System for Vehicles. The invention has been illustrated and described in association with a kart-cutting machine in order that 'its Ereel motor control valve 35 of conventional form, fully 2,698,030 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 mode of operation and advantages may thus more clearly appear.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, it will be observed that a kerf-cutting machine 1 is, as above stated, illustrated as a setting for the invention. It will be understood, however, that other hydraulically propelled vehicles may equally well be used for the incorporation of the invention. The kerf-cuttiug machine of Fig. lincludes front propulsion wheels 2 having individual driving motors 3 and 3 The machine has a cutting mechanism 4 supported, adjustable and driven through mechanism illustrated in the application of Harry H. Vanderzee and Clyde P. Baldwin, Serial No. 578,084, above mentioned, drive being by means of a suitable motor 5, Propulsion of the vehicle, as well as numerous adjustments of its parts which do not enter into the present invention, but which are described in said joint application, may be eifected by a dual pump mechanism 6 including a large capacity pump 7 and a small capacity pump 8, both pumps being driven by a motor 9 herein distinct from the motor 5. The hydraulic fluid pumped by the pump 8 is under high pressure and has its distribution controlled by a valve box 10 having therein numerous valve devices of which only two are of present concern. This valve mechanism is also illustrated in the application of said Vanderzee and Baldwin. The fluid pumped by the large capacity pump 7 is also under high pressure and is controlled as later described.

Referring now to the diagram of Fig. .7, it will be observed that a tank or reservoir 11 suitably supported on the vehicle 1 is connected by a conduit 12 and by branch conduits 13 and 14 respectively to the intakes of the large capacity pump 7 and of the small capacity pump 8. The pump discharges are respectively connected to conduits 15 and 16. The conduit 15 leads from the large capacity pump 7 to a manually controllable four-way valve device 17, which has its valve-receiving bore appropriately connected by a conduit 18 back to the tank 11. The conduit 18 communicates with the bore of the valve mechanism 17 at spaced points through ports 19 and 20. The

large capacity pump discharge conduit 15 has a relief predetermined maximum, thereby to preventoverloading of the system. Conduits 25 and 26 lead from the valve receiving bore of the four-way valve device and are adapted to conduct fluid from the large capacity pump 7 to elfect the propulsion of the apparatus by means of the wheel driving motors 3 and 3 The discharge conduit 16 from the small capacity pump 8 leads to one end of the valve box 10, while an exhaust or return line 12 is connected to the other end of the valve box 10 and to the reservoir 11. Conduits 27 and 28 lead from the valve box 10 and communicate with the conduits 25 and 26 respectively, and a valve device 29, shown in detail in the above mentioned applicationof Vanderzee'and Baldwin, is provided for selectively connecting the small pump discharge or the exhaust line 12 with the conduits 27 and 28, supply to the conduit 27 being accompanied by venting from the conduit 28, and vice versa. t

For the supply of electric current to the motors 5 and 9 a hydraulic reel driving motor 30 having associated with it automatic control mechanism 31, all as described in the aforementioned copending application of Vanderzee and Baldwin, may be provided, the mechanism 31 serving to cause actuating fluid to pass through the reel driving motor 30 and to actuate the latter when the wheel driving motors 3 and 3 are being rotated in a direction to cause the vehicle to move toward the point of attachment of the cable associated with the reel, but to permit bypassing of the fluid without entering the reel driving motor 30 when the vehicle is being moved in a direction away from the point of attachment of the cable and to interconnect supply and exhaust connections for the reel driving motor so that said motor may be turned without substantial *resistanceduring the paying off of the cable.- Conduits 33 and 34 lead from the valve box 10 to the automatic control valve mechanism 31 and may be controlled by a described in the copending'application above mentioned, to ei1ab'le""r'e'eldrive without propulsion wheeldrive. Leakage connections 36, 37,38 extend from wheel dr1v1ng motor 3, reel driving motor'30, and wheel driving motor 3" respectivelypto the returnline 12';

At 40 there is illustrated the valve mechanismwhich incorporates the illustrative embodiment of the invention; This valve mechanism includes a casing41hav1ng a valve receiving bore 42 therein, andwith this bore' there communicate surrounding grooves 43, 44'and 45a The groove-45 is" connected by a' conduit portlon 47 w1th the conduits 2 6 and 28. The groove'44 is connected by a conduit 49" with themotor 3 The groove 43 is connected by a' conduit 50 with the motor 3'. The motor'3 has'another conduit 51 associated'with'it, and this is connected with the conduits 25 and33. The motor 3 has another conduit 52 associated with'it, and this is connected with-the conduit 34. Rcciprocable within the bore 42' isa spool valve56whose heads57 and 58 are'conn'ected'b'y'a reduced portion 59 surrounded by a groove 60 which serves in different positions of-the valve to' connect the groove 45 with both of the grooves 43 and 44 and' with thelast two grooves-separately. The valve 56 is'pi'ovided withmeans' for establishing restricted connections between each of the grooves 43 and 44, when the-"groove 60 does not communicate with it, and the grooves- 60 and 45. As shown the valve 56 has a central bore 62 intowhich open three radial passages; one, 63, opening through thep'eriphery of the head 57; another, 64, opening through the periphery of the head 58; and a th'ird, 6'5; opening into the groove 60. The radial passages 63 and 64 are adapted'to be brought into communication with the conduits 50*and49 in the opposite end positions of the valve 56. The valve 56 is normally centered in the position shown in Fig. 3 by spring pressed followers 66 which are adapted to coact with the end surfaces of shoulders 67 formed by cylindrical portions of the valve outside the heads 57 and 58. Thevalve also has oppositely extending stems of still smaller diameter 69, either of which may have operating means associated with it, and both of which have s'uch'operating means shown at 70 associated with them, as shown in Fig. 1, -so that the valve may be controlled from either side of the machine. Suitable packingsor seals'71 prevent leakage of fluid out-of the valve casing alongthe operating stems for the valve. The spring centering means for the valve are housed in end boxes 73, and these are connected in communication with each other by a passage means 74, which passage means is connected by avent conduit 75 to the vent line'12', herein by way of aconnection with the vent conduit 36.

Withthe valve 56 in the positionindicated in Fig. 7 and-'shown in'Figs. -2, 3 and 6, it will be observed that the conduit 47 communicates freely with the conduits '49 and 50, and accordingly, if the valve mechanism 17 be controlled (Control by the valve mechanism 29 is also possible.) to effect fluid supply to the conduit 47, this fluid will flow through the conduits 49 and 50 and through the motors 3 and 3 motor 3 will be discharged from the latter through the conduit 51 and will flow back through the conduit 25, valve mechanism 17 and the conduit 18 into the reservoir 11. The fluid which passes through the motor 3 will be discharged through'the conduit 52 and a portion of the conduit 34 and will'pass through'the automatic control valve mechanism 31 without driving the reel, and then will pass also by way of the conduit 25, valve mechanism 17, and conduit 18 back to the reservoir.

.It will be observed that the operation just described is theonewhich takes place when the apparatus is to be propelled in a direction moving away from the point of connection-of the cable, at which time it is desirable that thecable be payed off of the reel, and accordingly that the reel driving motor 30 be not positively driven but rather permitted freely to rotate with its opposite fluid connections freely connected with each other.

Now if one of the propulsion motors 3 or 3' has the wheel driven thereby spin because of its resting upon a slippery place, it will be evident that that motor whose wheel spins will take all of the fluid discharged by the pump orpumps, and accordingly there will be notracwhich it'- is drivin'g 'spinningl The machine runner: will The fluid supply through the l then manipulate the valve 56 in such a manner as to bring-it to the positionshown in'Fig.-5. This will interrupt the supply of fluid to the conduit 49 directly by way of the groove and will result in a free connection of the grooves 43 and 45, with* the result that, were it not for the relatively small passages heretofore described, all of the fluid would go to the motor 3 which will then be provided with abundant power and presumptively be able to move the apparatus to a point where both wheels may again exert traction.

It is not desirable to have the motor 3 completely shut off from the fluid supply at a time when fluid is made available so freely to the motor 3*, and it is for this reason that the passages 62, 63, 64 and are provided. It will be noted that in the position of the parts shown in Fig." 5, fluid will flow' from the grove 45' and the groove 6t) through the radial passage 65 and the longitudinal passage62 and the radial passage 64'to the conduit' 49, with the result that some fluid will be supplied to the motor 3*, so that this motor may be causedto rotate'slowly. The slow rotation" will'aid its wheel to regain traction, and the machinewill not tend to slew to the extent that this action would take place if the motor 3 were receiving no fluid. It will beevident that if it was the motor 3 whose driven wheel lost'traction, the valve 56 would be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, and then the motor, 3 would be operative to move the apparatus until both traction wheels took hold. A mere return of the valve 56 to the position shown in Fig. 3 will result in quick supply of fluid again to both the motors 3 and 3* equally.

If it is desired to-prope'l the apparatus in an opposite direction, the'valve mechanism 17 or the valve mechanism 29, or both, may be manipulated to effect the supply of fluidtothe conduit 25. Assuming valve mechanism 17 in control, the fluid supplied to the motor 3 through the conduit 51 will actuate that motor and then pass'through the conduit 49 and the valve mechanism 40, the conduit 47, the conduit 26, thevalve mechanism 17'and the conduit 18 back to'the reservoir. Moreover, fluid supplied by way of the conduit 33 will pass through the valve mechanism 31, through a conduit 81-to the reel driving motor 30, through a-conduit 82 back to the valve mechanism 31,-through the conduit 34, conduit 52, propulsion motor 3 conduit 50, valve mechanism 40, conduit 47, conduit 26, valve mechanism 17, and back to the reservoir 11. It will be evident that some of the fluid returning in either case described through the conduit 47 might, when both pumps are supplying fluid, pass through the conduit 28, the valve mechanism 29 and the conduit 12 as well as directly through the conduit 25 to the valve mechanism 17.

It will have been noted that the valvernechanism 40 1s now in a return line from thernotors, but this does not alter its capacity to exercise the desired controls. If the motor 3 were tending to rotate without the exertron of effective tractive effort, movement of the valve 56 to a position which would reduce the communication between-the conduits 49 and 47 to that which might take place through the passages 64, 62 and 65 would result in the effecting of only a slow rotation of the motor 3 and the flow of the major portion of the pumped fluid through the motor 3 In like manner, ifthe motor 3 had its driven wheel skid, the valve device 40' could exercise its control on the return lines from the motors 3 and 3 and by restricting'the flow'through the motor 3 would cause'the' major flow to take place through the motor 3 The valve mechanism'which has been described is obvrously adapted, in the vehicle propulsion system in which 1t 1s Incorporated for purposes of illustration, to enable this vehicle with which it is associated to move from a place where either propulsion wheel may have temporarily lost traction, and'to 'eflect such movement without disadvantageous slewing of the vehicle and with the application to the slipping wheel of torque at an appropriate rate to give the slipping wheel the best opportunity to regain its traction. The valve mechanism is operable from either sideof the machine so that irrespective of the point at which the operator may be, he can effect the necessarycontrol without changing his-positioni Whilethere is-inthis application specifically described one form which the invention-may assume in practice, it

y will be understood-that*this formis-shownfor-purposes of illustration and that'the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a valve mechanism, a casing having a valve receiving chamber therein, a valve movable in said chamber, a pair of work ports opening into said chamber at points spaced apart longitudinally of said chamber, a fluid supply port opening into said chamber in a transverse zone between the openings of said pair of work ports into said chamber, said valve having spaced portions one covering one of said pair of work ports and the other covering the other thereof in the opposite end positions of said valve and said valve having a recess between said portions of a length to communicate with both of said pair of work ports at once and connect them concurrently with the supply port, said valve movable to connect said supply port with each of said pair of work ports separately from the other, and means formed on said valve providing a restricted communication between said fluid supply port and either of said work ports when the other of said Work ports alone is connected to said fluid supply port, said last mentioned means including passages opening through said portions of the valve at points blanked off by said casing in a central position of said valve and having their other ends connected continuously in communication with said fluid supply port.

2. In a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having a valve chamber therein, a valve movable in said. chamber, a pair of ports opening into said chamber at spaced points therein, a supply port opening into said chamber between said first mentioned ports, said valve having spaced heads one covering one of said pair of ports and the other covering the other thereof in the opposite end positions of said valve, and said valve having between said heads a groove of a width to communicate with both of said first mentioned ports at once and connect them concurrently with the supply port, said valve movable to connect said supply port with each of said first mentioned ports separately from the other, and means formed in said valve providing a restricted communication between said supply port and either of said first mentioned ports when the other of said first mentioned ports alone is connected by said groove to said supply port, said last mentioned means including passages communicating with said groove and having outer ends opening through the heads of the valve at points spaced from said groove, said casing having portions which cover, when said valve is centered, the outer ends of said passages.

3. In a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having a valve chamber therein, a valve reciprocable in said chamber, a pair of ports communicating with said chamber at spaced points therein, a supply port opening into said chamber intermediate said ports, said valve having spaced heads one covering one of said pair of ports and the other covering the other thereof in the opposite end positions of said valve, and said valve having between said heads a groove of a width to connect said supply port to said other ports concurrently, or with each of them separately, and means formed in said valve for providing a restricted communication between said supply port and either of said pair of ports while the other of said pair of ports alone is connected by said groove to said supply port, said last mentioned means 1 ncluding passages opening through the circumferential periphery of the valve at each side of said groove and within the groove, and connected with each other within said valve, said casing having portions covering the passages opening through the circumferential per phery of the valve at each side of the groove when said groove has equal communication with both of said pair of ports.

4. In a valve mechanism of the character dCSCIIbBCL a casing having a valve chamber therein, a valve movable in said chamber, a pair of ports opening into said chamber at spaced points therein, a supply port opening mto said chamber between said first mentioned ports, said valve having spaced heads one covering one of said pair of ports and the other covering the other thereof in the opposite end positions of said valve, and said valve having between said heads a groove of a width to communicate with both of said first mentioned ports at once and connect them concurrently with the supply port, said valve movable to connect said supply port with each of said first mentioned ports separately from the other, and means formed in said valve providing a restricted communication between said supply port and either of said first mentioned ports when the other of said first mentioned ports alone is connected by said groove to said supply port, said last mentioned means including radial passages opening through the circumferential periphery of the valve at opposite sides of and spaced from said groove and also opening within the groove and a passage connecting said several radial passages in communication with each other, said casing having portions which cover, when said valve is centered, the radial passages which open through the periphery of the valve at the opposite sides of said groove.

5. In a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having a fluid supply port and having a pair of work ports leading therefrom, valve means in said casing connecting either of said Work ports separately or, when said valve is in midposition in said casing, both of them together, in free communication with said fluid supply port, and means closed by said casing in midposition of said valve for establishing a restricted connection between said fluid supply port and one of the work ports when the other of said work ports only is in free communication with said fluid supply port.

6. In a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having therein a valve-receiving chamber and having a single fluid supply port opening into said chamber and a pair of work ports leading therefrom, valve means in said casing having a groove connecting either of said work ports separately, or both of them together, in free communication with said fluid supply port, means for establishing a restricted connection between said fluid supply port and either one of the work ports when the other of said work ports only is in free communication with said fluid supply port, and means for normally maintaining said valve means in a position to maintain both of said work ports in free communication with said fluid supply port.

7. in a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having a valve chamber therein, a valve reciprocable in said chamber, Work ports communicating with said chamber at spaced points therein, an intermediate supply connection opening, between said spaced points, into said chamber, said valve having spaced heads one controlling one of said work ports and the other controlling the other thereof in the opposite end positions of said valve and said valve having thereon between said heads a groove of a width to connect said supply connection to both of said work ports at once, or with each of them separately, and means formed in said valve for providing a restricted communication between said supply connection and either of said work ports while the other of said work ports alone is connected by said groove to said supply connection, said last mentioned means including restricted passage means communicating with said groove and opening through said valve at points at opposite sides of said groove.

8. In a valve mechanism of the character described, a casing having a valve chamber therein, a valve reciprocable in said chamber, work ports communicating with said chamber at spaced points therein, an intermediate supply connection opening into said chamber between said spaced points, said valve having a pair of end heads each controlling a difierent one of said Work ports and, intermediate said heads, a groove of a width to connect said supply connection to both of said work ports at once, or with each of them separately, and means formed in said valve for providing a restricted communication between said supply connection and either of said work ports while the other of said work ports alone is connected by said groove to said supply connection, said last mentioned means including restricted passages communicating with said groove and opening through the circumferential periphery of each of said heads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 546,589 Doerhoefer Sept. 17, 1895 690,611 Roake Jan. 7, 1902 1,172,833 Ricker Feb. 22, 1916 1,292,013 Munger Jan. 21, 1919 1,873,769 Lang Aug. 23, 1932 2,121,936 Thomas June 28, 1938 2,247,140 Twyman June 24, 1941 2,365,095 Miller Dec. 12, 1944 2,531,511 Hill Nov. 28, 1950 

